AIIMS Rajkot likely to be fully ready by October, says Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya

RAJKOT: Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday said the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) near Gujarat's Rajkot city is likely to be fully ready by October, as 65 per cent of the work has been completed so far. Mandaviya visited the AIIMS here during the day to take stock of the progress of the project.

The out-patient department (OPD) of the hospital is already functional, while a 150-bed indoor hospital will be commissioned in August and a 250-bed facility in September, he said. The institute in Rajkot is one of the 16 AIIMS being constructed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.

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"At least 65 per cent of the physical work of AIIMS Rajkot has been completed, and the OPD has started. The process of procuring medical devices is going on at a rapid pace, and the plan is to complete all the works by October this year," Mandaviya told PTI. The minister said the institute will have a 150-bed indoor hospital by August and a 250-bed one by September, which will reduce the need for the people of Gujarat to travel to other states for treatment.

He further said that when he last visited the AIIMS in March, only 800 labourers worked at the site, and the number has now increased to 2,000. All the agencies, including the ones involved in procurement, infrastructure and the state government departments are working in coordination to ensure that the work is completed on time, Mandaviya said. AIIMS Rajkot will be a 750-bed hospital with multiple speciality and super-speciality departments.

The institute is being constructed at the cost of Rs 1,195 crore, which includes Rs 185 crore towards state-of-the-art medical equipment. The state government has allotted about 201 acres of land for the project and will take care of access roads, water facilities and provision for electricity, it was stated.